Published in the September 14, 2016 issue of The Bells Three months. Three months is how long it takes Mercury to orbit the sun, how long it takes to get over a broken heart (scientifically speaking), how long it takes to create a new habit, and how long we get for summer vacation. Three months is approximately 90 days, 2190 hours, or 131,400 minutes. Three months is NOT a long time. And yet, according to our judicial system, three months is enough time for rapist Brock Turner to learn his lesson. Given the name “Stanford swimmer” in the news, each article contained a picture of a smiling young man, seeming to be an upright citizen. On January 17, Turner took advantage of a girl who was intoxicated, assuming that her lack of a voice was consent. After what his father called “20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life,” Turner left the girl when two students approached. The two men then chased and apprehended Turner when they realized the girl was unconscious. Since then, the case has turned into a circus. After an eye-opening and very personal statement from the victim, much of America watched in horror as the proceedings continued on. Hoping for the longest sentence for such a crime we watched as the media portrayed Turner as an innocent kid, who had simply made a mistake. Butthat is not what he is. On pins and needles leading up to the final decision, I strongly opposed leniency for Turner. How could one use the excuse of intoxication as to why they “messed up” when no consent had been or could have been given? And yet, as I watched the proceedings, I continue to see a picturesque depiction of him as the typical “stand up guy.” And while all that happened over the course of this summer, it seemed as though he was the only one depicted in such a manner while his crimes were far more severe than others portrayed in the media. And when the judge’s final judgement came out, I lost my breath. I lost my breath for every victim, every mother and daughter and sister out there that had ever felt the emotional sting of sexual assault. He was given just six months of jail time, because Turner was “just a kid.” And then as if that wasn’t bad enough, Turner was let out three months early because of “good behavior”. And here I am, like all other media outlets, focusing only on Turner himself. What about other victims who are too scared to come forward, who are now being shown...

Published in the Aug. 24, 2016 issue of The Bells Fall weather is the beginning of many things: cooler weather, flannel shirts, and football. The team has been practicing since late this summer, honing their skills and preparing to make a run at the championships. “We play three teams ranked in the top 25,” says Head coach, Pete Fredenburg. “..so it gives us a great opportunity if we can win those games. It’d be really special, but we also know its a huge challenge. We’re just trying to maximize their potential.” Strategically, Cru Football plans to open up their offense. The key to this move is their wide receivers, whom Fredenburg has said are “very talented.” “We’ve got to put the ball into their hands,” he said. Defensively, Fredenburg is looking for consistency and a more aggressive approach to covering their opponents. Cru football is notorious for being exceptionally good, but that doesn’t mean the boys don’t work for their wins. “It’s a grind everyday,” said sophomore running back, Braden Murphy. “It’s just like having a [real] job. It’s like anything else in real life, it teaches you a lot of discipline. You [have to] get up every morning and be ready to give your best.” Sophomore quarterback Holten Einkauf said the team isn’t satisfied with average. “If you’re satisfied with average, then that means you aren’t willing to get better,” Einkauf said. Everyday you wake up, and you want to get better and better than the day before. Once you realize that, you’ll be successful.” Fredenburg mentioned several players worth keeping an eye on this season. “Blake Jackson is going to be our starting quarterback, and I think he’s developed into an outstanding player and leader. It’s been fun to watch him grow and develop. He also mentioned that junior linebacker Matt Cody has also established himself as a real positive leader. Fredenburg thinks both will represent the program well.” Fredenburg is going into his 19th season with the university, and hopes that being here has left a lasting impact on his players. “I think they’re very dedicated to this program and to the team and the university, and that’s the special [thing] about playing here. The guys really take a lot of pride in representing the school and doing it in a real special way,” Fredenburg said. Our boys uphold the tradition of faithfulness and devotion, both on and off the field, giving school spirit to all they encounter it. Coming off of an impressive 11-2 record in the 2015 season, the boys of fall are back in action on Sept. 3 facing off against Ohio Wesleyan...

The beginning of April brought not only April showers in preparation for our May flowers, but also CAB’s Cru Playhouses for military families. Each year, mulitple associations around campus make a playhouse for military families. The event was done the weekend before Reaching Out, in conjunction with the service event, and continued throughout the week. Students delivered the houses at the end of the week and then painted them with the families. This event not only benefits those receiving the playhouses, but those working on the projects as well. Each year, the event draws out both positive vibes and great times, for the participating families and students. “Cru Playhouse’s is something we do every year at the Campus Activities office,” said Victoria Fae, a senior cell biology major. “We purchase 10 to 12 playhouses every year, and different organizations sponsor each house.” Fae explained that the organizations help military families not only off campus, but also those on campus as well. “We build [the houses] during the whole week with the organizations. During the week leading up to [Reaching Out] we deliver the playhouses,” she said. Fae has participated in building playhouses since her freshman year. She enjoys impacting so many military families. “My favorite part is delivering the houses that Saturday with my organization,” Fae said. “It’s just really fun to decorate with them and meet the children, play with them, and give them something that’ll last for a long time.” The children that receive the playhouses get to play and hang out with the UMHB students and volunteers while they were painting the houses. Often times, the military families recieving the houses are also UMHB students. The playhouses are given to military families as an appreciation and gratitude gift from the school. “My favorite part was building the houses,” said freshman marketing major, John Merritt. “We build houses for the kids so that they can have fun and use their imagination.” This serves as a time for fellowship within the community and the campus. It brings students closer together with those currently serving in the military and those who are no longer...

The very essence of UMHB’s Spring Revival is praise and worship of God. Each year, hundreds of students gather in the quad for three days to fellowship and worship together. This year, the band Digital Age was back for their third time, and Dr. Kneeland Brown was there cracking jokes and ministering to all who came to participate in the annual event. The event is student led, and draws in not only those seeking out the event, but also people walking by. Spring revival comes just days after the university’s Easter Pageant and helps students reflect on what Jesus did for us. It’s a time to praise and worship, and come together as one body of Christ. The Digital Age was happy to be a part of Revival, and helped to set the tone for the entire event. “We don’t typically do things more than a year or two, and they asked us again, and we were like ‘Of course we’re going to do it, cause we love you guys. We really do,’” said Mike Dodson, the group’s piano player. Guitarist Mark Waldrop (Shark) also had positive things to say about the event. “Everyone we’ve met here has been awesome, we have a lot of friends from Baylor who are here now, and it’s just awesome to sleep in our own beds and come down here,” he said. The band hails from Waco, where they first formed. But it wasn’t just the band who enjoyed the event that took place under a tent. Those who helped plan Revival were also moved by its worship-centered vibes. “One of my favorite aspects of the event was just getting to work with the committee.” aid Kelsey Riegel, junior history major. “Every single one of them had different stories, but they were all so on fire for the Lord and that was so evident through the whole Revival process. Getting to hear how they were telling their family and friends about the event, and getting to share the gospel with them was just incredibly uplifting,” Riegel said for her, the best part was that most of them were freshman and had never even been to UMHB’S Revival. “They didn’t know what it was going to look like when it all came together, so seeing them so excited and passionate for an event they’d never been to was so amazing and humbling,” she...

In a life driven by access to technology, mobile applications seem to keep us in the loop. In an attempt to keep up with the changing times, UMHB released the first edition of its own app in 2012. The app was recently updated and can be found under the title UMHB Cru Mobile in the App Store. One of the biggest reasons for the update is to keep up with the ever-changing mobile software. “The recent update is mostly to be able to support modern iOS and Android devices, said Director of Media Services Matthew Irvine. “There were a few issues on the previous version of the app with newer devices, and we wanted to make sure that we kept up with technology.” The app includes a variety of features, including campus activities and athletic events, a map of the campus, social media updates from the university pages, and various links to the student section of the webpage (i.e. financial aid, cru card information, etc.). A few special features include the ability to view videos or pictures posted to social media under the hashtag #myUMHB, a faculty and staff directory and some fixes for past bugs. The most used feature on the Cru Mobile app is the faculty and staff directory. “ In the previous version, a person had to know the last name of a staff member to find her in the directory,” Irvine said. “Now, it’s simple to search the directory by first name, last name, or even title. We’re pretty pleased with how that turned out.” Though the app has seen major improvements, freshman nursing major Zhari Cooper said it has a few flaws. “I understand the concept behind the app, but a lot of the pages just don’t feel finished.” Cooper said. “Like, the page itself is blank.” Irvine said that even though the app has some issues, the university is continually striving to make it better. “There are many other improvements and bug fixes under the hood. Overall, we’re pretty happy with how the new app turned out. It’s always a work in progress, and we always welcome suggestions for improvement,” he said. The app has a 4-out-of-5 star rating on the App Store for iPhone, and says it is compatible with all Apple products with products with at least the iOS version 7.0 or later. However, it does not specifically say if it is compatible with Android products. “I think the app is a good concept, but isn’t delivered well.” Freshman art major, Katie White said. “It has a lot of links to the internet, and if I wanted to use the internet,...

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Owned and published by UMHB, The Bells is a biweekly publication. We applaud diversity, allowing editorial statements to express the opinion of those listed in the byline.Opinions do not necessarily reflect the adviser’s, staff’s and/or the university’s opinion.Read more »

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The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor prepares students for leadership, service, and faith-informed discernment in a global society.